From Pastor Bill

Just like you can open a mutual fund but never invest in it, you can become a Christian but never become a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. If this describes you, then it may very well be that you have come to accept the following three lies about spiritual growth.

First, it is instantaneous. To be sure, when you begin your relationship with God, your eternal destiny is altered, there is a reorientation in your priorities, you will have a new purpose, and there is the potential for a wonderful work of God in your life. But spiritual maturity does not happen instantly. In other words, when you give your life to Jesus Christ, there will not always be an immediate, substantive change in all of your habits, attitudes, and character. Rather, there is the beginning of a new relationship, but it takes time for spiritual intimacy at the deepest levels to occur. And rather than an immediate liberation from every bad habit or character flaw that you’ve ever possessed, what takes place is more like the landing of an army on the beachhead, which then begins routing out the enemy as it makes its way inland.

Second, all it takes is time. It is a myth to believe that someone who has been a Christian for ten years will necessarily have ten years’ worth of spiritual maturity, because true spirituality is not simply a by-product of time. For example, if you have been playing golf once a year for 30 years, it would be misleading to tell others that you’ve been playing golf for 30 years, because you wouldn’t have been intentional about the game during that time. And that is why others could have only been playing golf for one year, but they could easily outplay you if they had intentionally developed their game through great lessons and lots of practice! I mean, you can subscribe to golf magazines, purchase golf equipment, wear golf clothing, watch golf on TV, and hang out at the clubhouse, but never improve your game, because simply being exposed to something has little bearing on how proficient we become. So while your spiritual development takes time, it is not simply a matter of time.

Third, all it takes is effort. Another myth is that spiritual growth is gained by trying. Did you know that many people believe that the “gifts of the Spirit” (Ie. love, joy, peace, patience, etc) are a matter of effort? And yes, while spiritual development demands intentionality, merely trying to experience life change never brings about life change. You see, to be like Jesus, you don’t just try; you train (Luke 6:40; I Timothy 4:7) to order your life around those activities, disciplines, and practices that were modeled by Jesus Christ.

So, yes, by an act of your free will, you can begin a spiritual life but then never develop it. And in the process, you can believe the myths that we just laid out. But my prayer for you is that you will stop believing these lies and let your personal relationship with Jesus Christ become an intimate one as He develops in you spiritual maturity and godly discernment (a) over time (b) with intentionality, and (c) with proper training!

Devotedly your pastor, 

Bill Blanchard